Car seat



Jan. 18,1927.

C.I T. HANSEN CAR SEAT Filed Dec. 5, 1923 BY A : ATTORNEY lil Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

UNITED .STATES :PATENT .sor-Fics.

CONRADlT. HANSEN, OF.DETROIT,HM1CKHIGAN, ,ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN MOTOR BODY CORP()RA'IION,` OF PHILADELPHIA,` PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATXON OF DELAWARE.

CAR

Application filed December rlhis invention relates toiimprovements in car seats, more particularlyrelating to Athe end structure thereof, and to means for attaching connecting rails to-seat end plates otl the carseat.

Car seats are subjected to constant jarring and vibration. which tend to work loose the connections in the seats. The yloosening of connections -in a seatisvery objectionable since `it often results in the displacement of parts, and, in seats `of the reversing type', often interferes immediately-With theproper reversing of; the seat, besides causing 'rattle and noise and increasing the wear upon the parts where the connection is' loose. At the same time simplicity, cheapness, durability and permanency are very much desired.

One important connection which should not work loose `is the connection between the cross rails andthe seat end. In certain types oi reversible seats,- the yloosening of the connections at these pointsfisl apt; to interfere immediately with the proper manipulation of the seat. -"l`he principal object of 4my `invention is to provideA a strong and durable connection between cross rai-lsandfseat ends. and a connection which will notworlr loose underV the lstrains of; useandtravel. Another objectfotmy invention is to provide a strong, -Ldurable and' light car-seat construction which 1 facilitates' the assembly 1. of :the seat -into the car structure. A further'object ot my invention kis .to provide an improved seat end construction. whichk .permits theattachmentof- 'thevwa'll end plate; `to the wall of the car before the remainder of the seat construction is set up. Other objects ot my invention will be in part obvious and in. part pointed out hereinafter.

rlhe invention.accordingly consists in .the Afeatures rot construction,combinations of elements and yarrangement of partsfwhioh will be exeinplitiedin .the construction hereinatterv set forth and the `scopeo'f the application of which will be yindicated in the 1fol lowing claims.

In accordance with my invention, the

connection' between a 4seat endv and a xconnecting `rail is accomplished by means vof one or `more `boltswhich penetrate. the yseat end Yfrom the outside and extend through suitable -bolt holes in a flange provided yon or attached Ato the connecting rail. `Eor each bolt the seat end has a key-hole shaped slot,

5. 1923. Serial No. 678,577.

permitting the bolt Ato be engaged withgthe seat .endwrom ,the inside Y.byV moving the bolt head through the larger portion of the slot and then moving the bolt radially to `engage the head behind thenarrower portionyot the slot. The seat end is preferably provided with a ,lower horizontal iiangetpositioned to `come .beneath .the end of theconnecting rail,- preventing downward :movement of. the rail. When a` single bolt is used, it .abuts .the top ot' the slot in the .seatend' to prevent upward movement ot' the` rail. ,This method of attachment is applicable ytoboth wall seat ends and aisle `seat ends,cand, may be employed either with .the plain pan or with the armrest type ofrseat. This nnethod ot' attaching ,the connectingzrail toa seat end also .permits .the wall seat end to be attached to a car wall before .the .remainder ot the seat construction is set up or connected therewith. rllhis permits the-,car builder to complete his work upon receiving the wall ends alone and obviates the `necessity tot his waiting for the entire seat construction. The remainder of .thecar seat. construction may be attached in place vatany time, and k.place arftentheiseat'end has been .attached to the .car walls. Y

In order that. a clear-er understanding ot .my linvention may be hadattentionishere- .by directed tothe `accompanying drawings I formingv a vpart of this application and illustratingcertain possible embodiments of my invention. 'Referring `to the drawingsylilig. v1l isa sideview of a ,fragment ofla'seat-end vshowing a cross rail secured theretoyFig'. 2 .is .ahori-zontal sectional'view of thesalne, and is taken on the ,lineQ-Q ,0f Fig. l; Fig. 3 isa Vertical sectional vievv of .thesame, and Ais taken on ,the line 3-3 ot Fig. 1; Fig.

.4t is ,similar to Eig. l, but shows a inodiiied iformof 'constructionyFig 5 isa vertical -sectional vieWothe same;1Fig. 6 is a` view .similar ,to.Fig.2 butshowsa modiied construction vof the seat end; ,'Fig.' 7 isasectional View taken on the line 7-7 ofFig. 8 showing a standard square headed boltand a key-.hole .slotfmodiiied lsomewhatas to shape; and Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7. Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views or the drawings.

` Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, I `provide a seat-end plate l, preferably of sheet metal, and which may be either a wall end plate or an aisle end plate. Suitable cross rails 2, preferably of angle shape, are secured, as by means of rivets 3, to the protruding wall 4 of an angulaishaped bracket 5, the other wall G of which is adapted to lie flat against an offset surface 7 formed in end plate 1. Offset portion 7 may be flanged inwardly, as at 8, so as to extend beneath bracket 5 and cross rail 2. Offset surface 7 of end plate 1 is provided with a key-hole slot, which, for a special round headed bolt 15, has a circular port-ion 9 and a smaller squared portion 10, but which, for a standard square headed bolt 15, has a square portion 9 and a smaller portion 10 (see Fig. 7). fall 6 of bi'acket 5 has a suitable square aperture 11 adapted to align with the aperture portion 1() or 10 in the end plate. lVithin the pocket 12, formed in the end plate by reason of offsetting the surface 7, is preferably secured, as by welding, a channel strip 13 or 13 which extends across the key-hole aperture, and is close enough so that the bolt is held in the upper slot by friction of the head between the strip and the seat end plate 1, and is so shaped that when a square bolt head 14 is engaged therein the bolt is held thereby against turning.

After the end plate 1, serving as a wall end plate, has been secured to the wall of a car, by any suitable means, not shown, the bracket 5 and cross rail 2 may be secured to the end plate by inserting the head 14 or 14 of a bolt 15 or 15 through the aperture portion 9 or 9, moving the bolt radially into the smaller aperture 10 or 10, threading the bolt through the aperture 11 in the bracket 5, and clamping the parts together by means of a nut 16. r1`he round headed bolt 15 is preferably provided with a special square shank portion 17 which is adapted to fit closely within the square portion 10 of the aperture in the seat end, and also within the square aperture 11 in the bracket wall 6, whereby the bolt is prevented from turning when the nut 16 is turned thereon. The square headed bolt 15 does not require such a square shank portion since its head is engaged to prevent its turning when the nut is screwed up. A longer bearing and increased leverage is obtained with the square-headed bolt arrangement. Preferably, a split washer 16 is used in conjunction with the nut 16.

l/Vhen a single bolt construction is employed, the bolt hole preferably is slotted on the downward side to take the head of the bolt. The angle bracket hole, when placed over the projecting end of the bolt and resting upon flange 8 of the plate 1, establishes an interlocking condition which prevents the rail from shifting out of proper position.

Although it has been found satisfactory to use only one bolt for securing the bracket 5 to the end plate, the construction may be modified to permit the use of two bolts. ln Figures 4 and 5 I have shown such modified construction. The construction shown in these figures is similar to the construction shown above, except that the oifset surface 7 of the end plate 1 is provided with two keyhole slots, 18 and 19, and the wall 6 of the bracket 5 is made sufliciently large to accommodate two apertures, 2O and 21, through which the securing bolts, 22 and 23, will extend. In this modification the slots 18 and 19 are placed in opposed relation so that the bolts in their final positions will engage the plate 1 in opposed directions and thus prevent the connecting rail from shifting out of proper position. Otherwise, the construction and assembly is the same as the construction and assembly already described, and may be arranged 'for either round headed bolts or for square headed bolts, and the apertures 20 and 21 may accordingly be either square or round to fit square or round bolt shank portions.

Instead of pocketing plate 1 and securing .channel member 13 or 13 to its outer side,

this plate may be flat, as at 1, and a channel member 24 may be secured, as by welding or otherwise, to the inner surface of the plate 1. The key-hole slots for one or more bolts 15 or 15 are provided in channel inember 24 instead of in the plate. One or more clearance pockets or apertures 25 for the bolt head or heads 14 or 14 are preferably provided in the pan 1 immediately behind the key-hole slots. This permits the connecting rail feature to be interchangeable with both the straight plate seat end and the pocketed plate seat end. The plain pan seat end is preferably used as an aisle end. qWhen a square headed bolt 14 is used, it is prevented against turning when the nut is tightened by the engagement of the edges of plate 1 itt the aperture against the sides of the bolt read.

From the above, it will be readily apparent that the cross rails and securing brackets may readily and easily be attached and be detached from the seat end after the seat end has been attached to the wall of a car. To attach the seat it is merely necessary to engage the bolts with a seat end, thread the brackets 5 thereover, and secure the parts together by means of the nuts.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and as many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is l. In seat construction, the combination with a seat end and a plurality of securing bolts having heads, said seat end having a plurality of key-hole slots, one for each bolt, and two of said slots extending in different directions, whereby two of said bolts may be engaged with said seat end `from the inner surface thereotI so as to extend inwardly therethrough, with the heads of the bolts engaging the seat end behind the slots and the shanks of the bolts engaging the seat end from different directions, and a bracket having pertorations for said bolts aligning with the reduced portions ot' the key-hole slots, whereby the bracket is prevented from moving vertically.

2. In seat construction, the combination with a seat end and a plurality of securing` bolts having heads, said seat end having a `plurality ot; key-hole slots, one for each bolt, and two of said slots extending` in ditlierent directions, whereby two ot said bolts may be engaged with said seat end from the inner surface thereof so as to extend inwardly therethrough, with the heads of the bolts engaging the seat end behind the slots and the shanks of the bolts engaging the seat end from different directions, a bracket having perforations for said bolts aligning with the reduced portions of the key-hole slots, whereby the bracket is prevented from moving vertically, and strips on the outer side of the seat end at the key-hole slots preventing outward displacement of the bolts.

3. In seat construction, the combination with a seat end and a plurality of securing bolts having heads, said sea-t end having a plurality of key-hole slots, one for each bolt, and two of said bolts extending in different directions, whereby two of said bolts may be engaged with said seat end from the inner surface thereof so as to extend inwardly therethrough, with the heads of the bolts engaging the seat end behind the slots and the shanks of the bolts engaging the seat end from different directions, and a bracket having pertorations for said bolts aligning with the reduced portions of the key-hole slots, whereby the bracket is prevented from moving vertically, aligning portions of the keyhole slots and perforations being squared, and the bolts having squared portions coacting therewith, whereby the bolts are prevented from turning.

This specification signed this 12th day ot' November, 1923.

CONRAD T. HANSEN. 

